Pink
by Fading wind
Summary: Sakura is always being teased. Ino Sakura friendship.


Title: Pink  
Pairing: Ino + Sakura  
Rating: G  
Spoilers: None.  
Warnings: Slightly implied shoujo-ai, but not really, since they're only just kids. So, it's more like friendship.  
Word Count: 1,018  
Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine. But fanfiction rules, so I don't care about not owning it.  
Author's Notes: Un-beta'ed. Lovely l'il flash fic set in the days when Ino and Sakura are both little kids studying at the academy. This is kind of my own version of how they meet, so I guess it's ever so slightly AU-ish.

**Pink**

"Sakura, open this door THIS INSTANT!"

Her mother pounded on the door, shouting at her, but she heard nothing. She was running her fingers through her hair nervously and looking in the mirror, seeing her worried frown reflected in the glass.

"Please, Sakura, what are you doing?"

She snapped out of her concerned mood, and put on her sweet little look as she went to open the door for her mother. She smiled as widely as possible, giving the right impression of a carefree, innocent girl.

"Oh, Sakura, you'll be late."

_I don't care if I'm late_, Sakura thought. _All the better. Less time spent with those horrible people. _Her heart was heavy with anxiety as she trudged out of her home, and she clutched her mother's hand tightly. She held on all the way to the academy, clinging onto that person whom she could always rely on, who wouldn't ever laugh at her or tease her. But they arrived at the gates eventually, and her mother had to let go of her. She refused to release the warmth of her mother's hand, something that promised love and security, and venture beyond those iron gates, into a place where no one liked her and everyone called her names.

Her tiny hand wasn't able to grasp her mother's much bigger one properly, and she watched her mother walk away helplessly. She wanted to run after her, to tell her to stop and never leave her again, but a teacher had spotted her and was heading her way. Her green eyes were still trained on the dot in the distance, and she felt her nose turn sour when the teacher took her hand and led her away from the gates and into the building.

"You're late, do you know that?" the teacher asked her. Not in a reprimanding tone though, but a gentle one.

_I don't care! _Sakura's mind screamed. _I don't want to be in this stupid place. _In spite of what she was thinking inside, she nodded slowly and muttered something that sounded vaguely like, "I'm sorry." The teacher approved of her apology, and they came to her classroom.

"There you go, little girl. Off to your lessons to become a strong ninja when you grow up."

_My parents aren't ninjas! Why do _I_ have to be one then? This is so unfair. _She dragged her feet into the classroom, and all twenty-four pairs of eyes swivelled onto her. She shivered under their gaze, and braced herself for the attacks that were going to come.

They came. "Why, if it isn't Miss Forehead! She's so very late!" chirped a few voices in unison. Sakura didn't have the heart to glare at them. She just looked up at the teacher and worked up another almost incoherent "I'm sorry."

The teacher shook his head, and sent her off to her seat. The moment she sat down, the boy next to her said, "You're such a stupid girl. A stupid girl with a big forehead too."

"Stop it, class!" the teacher shouted, but it had virtually no effect on the uproarious pupils, and Sakura was hurting more and more.

---

"Do you like any boys?" a girl came out of nowhere and asked her suddenly.

It was breaktime, when all the children were free to do what they wanted: chat, eat, some madly hard-working ones even trained, and of course, teasing Sakura was a very popular activity as well.

"What's it got to do with you?" Sakura snapped, more than just irritated -- she was blushing slightly, a tint of pink showing on her cheeks.

"Ha, you do!" the girl clapped her hands together gleefully. Sakura didn't see what she was so happy about.

"I don't. It's none of your business anyway," she said hotly.

"Oh, you do. But the boys won't like you, no way," the random girl said, smirking.

"And why is that?" The words came out of her mouth before she could stop herself. There, she'd given it away now. She did like a boy.

"Because you have pink hair!" The girl had long, blond hair, and she tossed it to show off. "Boys hate girly things. And pink is the girliest colour in the world. It looks disgusting on your hair." She made a face at Sakura. "Boys... They love blond hair. Especially long, blond hair."

"I hate you," Sakura huffed, and she was about to walk off when more girls crowded round her, repeating basically the same thing that the first girl had said, and sneering at her. Her heart beat like crazy, and she was nearly _cowering_. She felt like... she felt like a dog that was being thrown stones at by cruel boys.

"Leave her alone," said a new voice. Another blonde girl was shoving her way through the mob. No one took any notice of her. "Leave her alone," she said again, in a much firmer tone. Some of the girls scattered hurriedly this time. The rest threw her a dirty look before striding off proudly.

"Don't listen to them," the girl said, patting her back reassuringly. "They're all liars. Don't you ever believe what those filthy little liars tell you."

Sakura stared at her. "But... I want to be liked by boys," she said timidly, playing with her fingers.

"Pink hair is absolutely fine." The girl smiled at her. "I _love _your hair. I'm sure a lot of boys will like it as well. What's your name?"

"Sakura," she replied.

"A pretty name to match a pretty person," the girl stated approvingly. "My name's Ino. It means 'pig'. Your name's an awful lot better than mine. You should be glad for that. Come on with me, I've got some food over there on that bench that I can share with you." Ino offered her hand to Sakura.

Sakura looked at the blonde girl, astonished. Maybe... maybe here was another person who would never tease her or laugh at her. Maybe here was a person at last that she could make friends with. "Sure," she said. She smiled genuinely for the first time in weeks, and took Ino's hand happily.

**The End**


End file.
